/******************************************************************************* * * McStas, neutron ray-tracing package * Copyright 1997-2010, All rights reserved * Risoe National Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark * Institut Laue Langevin, Grenoble, France * * Documentation: CHANGES * * %Identification * Written by: KN, KL, PEO, EF, PW, EK, JB * Date: 2012 * Origin: DTU, ILL, Uni Copenhagen, PSI * Release: McStas 2.0RC2 * Modified by: KN, October 26, 1998 : initial release 1.0 * Modified by: KN, March 31, 1999 : release 1.1 * Modified by: KN, January 31, 2000 : release 1.2 * Modified by: KN, May 18, 2000 : release 1.3 * Modified by: KN, July 28, 2000 : release 1.4 * Modified by: KN, PEO, March 16, 2001: release 1.4.1 * Modified by: PEO, EF, October, 10th, 2001: release 1.5 * Modified by: PW, EF, May 19th 2003: version 1.7 * Modified by: PW, EF, March 4th 2004: version 1.8 * Modified by: PW, EF, November 16th 2005: version 1.9 * Modified by: PW, EF, March 29th 2006: version 1.9.1 * Modified by: PW, EF, December 4th 2006: version 1.10 * Modified by: PW, EF, July 3rd 2007: version 1.11 * Modified by: PW, EF, EK May 8th 2008: version 1.12 * Modified by: PW, EF, EK April 2nd 2009: version 1.12a * Modified by: PW, EF, EK June/July 2010: version 1.12b * Modified by: PW May-June 2011: version 1.12c (re-release) * Modified by: PW November 2012: version 2.0RC1 (pre-release) * Modified by: PW December 2012: version 2.0RC2 (pre-release) * This file is part of McStas version 2.0, released December 21st, 2012. * It gives a 'changes' list from the beginning of the project * *******************************************************************************/ Changes in McStas v2.0, December 21st, 2012 McStas 2.0 is the long-awaited major release of McStas Thanks: - Thanks to all contributors of components, instruments etc.! This is what Open Source and McStas is all about! - Thanks to Johan Brinch for helping us modernize the structure of the code and bring new solutions in the tool area! - Thanks to Esben Klinkby for debugging results of the McStas (physics) test! General: - As documented in the manual, a new major release means loss of backward compatibility. See remarks below about STATE_PARAMETERS and naming of component parameters. Most of your existing instruments and components should be trivial to port to the new release as the code generation gives you helpful debugging information. Should you fail after trying, feel free to send us a tgz or zip with all needed instrument- and component code to mcstas-users@mcstas.org and we will try to help. - As of this release, McStas is distributed as multiple packages rather than a monolithic: - mcstas, contains code generator and runtime codes * Dependencies: a C-compiler (and mcstas-comps) * Optional: an MPI environment - mcstas-comps, contains component- and instrument example libraries * Dependencies: mcstas - mcstas-tools-Perl, contains our "legacy" set of perl tools * Dependencies: mcstas, Perl, Perl::Tk, pgplot, perl-PGPLOT, Gnuplot * Optional: Perl::Tk::CodeText, Perl::Math::Amoeba, Matlab, a VRML-viewer, (Scilab 4.0) * Remark: As far as possible, we provide dependencies in the installation bundles * Remark: mcgui can be configured to run python-based tools for sub-tasks - mcstas-doc, contains our PDF manuals - mcstas-tools-Python-mcrun, contains our new, python-based compile/run script * Dependencies: python-yaml * Remark: The script falls back to the perl version if dependencies do not resolve - mcstas-tools-Python-mcplot-matplotlib, contains a new matplotlib mcplot solution * Dependencies: python-matplotlib * Remark: A bit on the slow side for large datasets * Remark: Features zooming on individual plots * Remark: "Standard" mcplot shortcuts for graphics dumps etc. * Remark: Recommendations for platform-specific python-distributions below * Remark: The script falls back to the perl version if dependencies do not resolve - mcstas-tools-Python-mcplot-chaco, contains a draft implementation of mcplot based on chaco * Dependencies: python-chaco * Remark: Faster than matplotlib-solution, but a bit on the slow side for large datasets * Remark: Features zooming on individual plots * Remark: Recommendations for platform-specific python-distributions below * Remark: Not easy to install dependencies for chaco if not in your python distro * Remark: The script falls back to the perl version if dependencies do not resolve - mcstas-web, contains a webserver-based run/trace/plot solution * Dependencies: python, python-XXX, R or perl+pgplot+perl-PGPLOT, nginx or apache * Remark: Currently not packaged, get it from our SVN. - In the future, we will release new versions of e.g. the component library, docs or tools while maintaining the core mcstas package. See repository-remarks below. - A given McStas 2.x release is "self-contained" and can be installed in parallel with other of McStas and McXtrace (i.e. run mcgui-2.0RC2 to select a specific version) - We provide the new mccode-select and mccode-select-bundle that allows to select the version of a given tool (i.e. mcrun) which is run by default - We provide a "migration tool" for Unix based systems (i.e. Linux & Mac) to let your already installed McStas 1.x co-exist with the new 2.x - Using McStas with NeXus does no longer require recompilation if you only want to _write_ NeXus. (Simply install NeXus and update your MCSTAS_CFLAGS to include -lNeXus -DUSE_NEXUS). For the conversion of files using mcformat NeXus must still be available at compile time Platform support: - We have moved from autoconf+make to CMake for easy multi-platform support - Supported platforms / targeted distributions of McStas are available for - Debian-based Linux systems (including Ubuntu, Mint etc.) * Versions: 32 and 64 bit * Remark: Dependencies resolved through OS package system * Remark: We provide debian packages for dependencies that are not in the OS'es by default * Remark: On Debian you need to enable the 'non-free' and 'contrib' apt-repositories * Remark: We will soon provide an apt repository for your sources.list - RPM-based Linux systems (including Scientific Linux, CentOS etc.) * Versions: 32 and 64 bit * Remark: Dependencies resolved through OS package system * Remark: For most of these distros you will need to enable the RPMforge and EPEL repositories. See e.g.: http://www.howtoforge.com/perfect-server-centos-6.3-x86_64-nginx-courier-ispconfig-3-p3 * Remark: We provide RPM or SRPM packages for dependencies that are not in the OS'es by default * Remark: We will soon provide an RPM repository for your yum * Remark: The 'python-chaco' dependency for the chaco-mcplot is not easily available here - Mac OS X, through a set of .pkg packages * Versions: Independent 64 bit versions for 10.6 Snow Leopard, 10.7 Lion and 10.8 Mountain Lion. Older versions are not directly supported, but installation should be possible if you build from the SVN tree using cmake. * Remark: On 10.6 you need to install a compatible Xcode - available from http://developer.apple.com or use the one on your original installation medium. * Remark: On 10.7 and 10.8 you need to get Xcode from the App store and through the in-app preferences download the 'Command Line Tools'. * Remark: On 10.8 you need to install XQuartz from http://xquartz.macosforge.org/landing/ * Remark: We distribute dmg images for each supported target release of OS X including all other bits you need for runing McStas and the Perl tools. Follow instructions in the README file. * Remark: To run the python-mcrun tool you need to install python-yaml via Terminal.app and this commmand: sudo easy_install pyyaml * Remark: To run the python-mcplot tools you need to either get a) Enthought Python (Commercial Python distribution) from http://www.enthought.com/products/epd.php . This enables both the matplotlib and chaco based mcplot tools. You need to make the installed python the system-default python 2.7, the instructions from Enthought: http://www.enthought.com/products/epdgetstart.php?platform=mac#default b) SciPy superpack from http://fonnesbeck.github.com/ScipySuperpack/ . This enables the matplotlib mcplot tool with the default Python available on OS X. - Microsoft Windows systems * Versions: 32 and 64 bit, tested on XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8 * Remark: We distribute zip files for each 32 and 64 bit Windows independently. Follow instructions in the README file. * Remark: We recommend using Strawberry Perl (v. 5.16) and provide compatible ppd's for the various perl-tool dependencies (perl-PDL, pgplot, perl-PGPLOT, perl-Tk-CodeText, perl-Math-Amoeba). Get Strawberry Perl via http://strawberryperl.com * Remark: Strawberry Perl includes gcc! Hence no need to install a separate c-compiler! * Remark: For MPI parallelization, we recommend installing MPICH2 from http://www.mpich.org * Remark: We recommend Python(x,y) on Windows systems as it includes both matplotlib and chaco. Get Python(x,y) via http://code.google.com/p/pythonxy/ * Remark: To enable the Python based mcrun tool with Python(x,y) you need to install PyYAML from http://pyyaml.org/wiki/PyYAML * Remark: Windows installations now recide in e.g. c:\mcstas-2.0RC2 and we provide two version- dependent desktop links: mcgui-2.0RC2 and mcstas-environment-2.0RC2 (the latter for running simulations using the windows cmd.exe). We do not touch the system registry for setting up PATH's etc., all is handled from the two links/batch files. - As far as possible, we build the packages on "standard" versions of the relevant OS'es (with the exception of the windows builds that are created on Debian Linux via cross-compilation) Tools - Many new developments as mentioned above. Just to name a few: - New mcrun tool based on Python - New mcplot tool based on Python+matplotlib - New mcplot tool baded on Python+chaco - New web-frontend based on Python - Mcgui perl-tool has been refurbished, updated look plus new button for changing working dir Core & runtime code: - Backward compatibility 1: Some backward-compatibility is lost in the new version of the code-generation, as we no longer use the information defined in the component STATE_PARAMETERS and POLARISATION_PARAMETERS macros. A warning is issued in case of components using these macros, e.g.: Warning: /usr/local/lib/mcstas-2.0delta/monitors/TOF2Q_cylPSD_monitor.comp is using STATE PARAMETERS mcstas-2.0delta 2.0delta support is PARTIAL for these and support will END with next release - Backward compatibility 2: We have standardized naming of component parameters - see the file NOMENCLATURE installed in the McStas library. The code generation will give error messages of e.g. using xw and yh where one should now be using xwidth and yheight. - Support for tabulated magnetic fields. New code for handling interpolation in sparse data is included in the share/interpolation/ area. The test instrument Test_pol_tabled.instr takes use of this feature. The curren implementation is in draft status, we expect speedup in the next McStas release. New Components: - Sample_nxs.comp from Mirko Boin, HZB. Diffraction/imaging oriented sample where one defines the structure by means of the NXS crystallography library which is now also included with McStas. Comes with the test- instruments Test_Sample_nxs_diffraction.instr and Test_Sample_nxs_imaging.instr. NOTE: Special compilation required, see instrument source codes! - Elliptic_guide_gravity.comp from Henrik Carlsen, NBI. Analytical approach to describing an elliptical guide geometry where gravity is taken into account. Included in the Reflectometer.instr from Anette Vickery, NBI. - Suite of SANS-samples from Martin Cramer Pedersen, NBI. Various approaches to describing SANS diffraction e.g. using the PDB data bank. Component names are SANSShells.comp SANSPDBFast.comp SANSPDB.comp SANSNanodiscsWithTagsFast.comp SANSNanodiscsWithTags.comp SANSNanodiscsFast.comp SANSNanodiscs.comp SANSLiposomes.comp SANSEllipticCylinders.comp SANSCylinders.comp SANSCurve.comp SANSSpheres.comp. Included (some as comments) in the TestSANS.instr. - SANSQMonitor.comp also from Martin Cramer Pedersen, NBI. Q-monitor for SANS also included in TestSANS.instr. - TOF2Q_cylPSD_monitor from Anette Vickery, NBI. Time-of-flight vs. q monitor of cylindrical shape. Included in the Reflectometer.instr test instrument. - SNS_source_analytic.comp from Franz X. Gallmeier, SNS. Smooth-fit description of the SNS-moderators. Fits are derived from the same underlying raw-data as the ordinary SNS_source.comp is using directly with linear interpolation. NOTE: This component uses the atypical neutrons/pulse intensity unit. The used input file MUST be given with a full path. - Brilliance_monitor.comp from Peter Willendrup, DTU Fysik. Monitor for easy evaluation of mean and instantaneous source brilliance for source comparison. Used in the ESS_brilliance.instr test instrument. - TOF_PSD_monitor_rad.comp from Kim Lefmann, KU. Derived from PSD_monitor_rad by Henrich Frielinghaus, FZJ. Position-sensitive TOF monitor with radially averaging. - PSD_TOF_monitor.comp from Peter Willendrup, DTU Fysik. PSD-monitor with a number of independent time-slices. Derived from PSD_monitor by Kim Lefmann, KU. - Source_gen4.comp from Jonas O Birk, NBI and Uwe Filges PSI. Version of source_gen with PSI-specific changes, e.g. a high-energy tail contribution. Included in the RITA-II.instr from Linda Udby, NBI. - Absorber.comp from Peter Willendrup, DTU Fysik. Slab of perfectly absorbing material. Included in the RITA-II.instr from Linda Udby, NBI. - PSD_monitor_psf.comp and PSD_monitor_psf_eff.comp from Kim Lefmann and Linda Udby, KU. Two derivatives of PSD_monitor.comp both with gaussian point-spread-function and _eff with a 1/k efficiency parameter. Included in the RITA-II.instr from Linda Udby, NBI. - Virtual_mcnp_ss_input.comp and Virtual_mcnp_ss_output.comp from Esben Klinkby, DTU Nutech. Allows to read and write MCNP/MCNPX 'source surfaces'. For use in simulations where neutrons need transport in both codes. - Virtual_mcnp_ss_Guide.comp from Esben Klinkby, DTU Nutech. Single guide piece sitting in a 'sandwich' between an input and an output MCNP/X source surface. - Mirror_Curved_Bispectral.comp and Mirror_Elliptic_Bispectral.comp from Henrik Jacobsen, KU. Mirrors for the bispectral ESS instrument ESS_2001_bispectral.instr. - Radial_div.comp from Kaspar Klenoe, KU. Divergence monitor measuring the radial deviation in divergence. Used in Henrik Jacobsen's ESS_2001_bispectral.instr. Updated Components: - ESS_moderator_long.comp patches from Kim Lefmann KU (multiple-pulses, TOF-focusing) and Esben Klinkby DTU Nutech (geometry and spectrum from ESS MCNPX models). Thanks to Klaus Lieutenant from Vitess/HZB for providing adjusted parameters for the 'Mezei moderator' and a wavelength-dependent corretion term. The legacy 2001 ESS parametrization is provided in obsolete as ESS_moderator_long_2001.comp. - Bugfix of the SNS_source.comp from Garrett Granroth, SNS (segfaulted on windows). NOTE: This component uses the atypical neutrons/pulse intensity unit. The used input file MUST be given with a full path. - Bugfix of the Multilayer_sample from Rob Dalgliesh, ISIS. - Many other components received updates... Instruments: - HZB_NEAT.instr from Emmanuel Farhi, ILL - written in collaboration with Ruep E Lechner. The NEAT spectrometer from the HZB. - TestSANS.instr from Martin Cramer Pedersen, NBI. Test SANS setup for the new SANS components described above. - Reflectometer.instr from Anette Vickery, NBI. Reflectometer on pulsed source. Test instrument for a couple of components from NBI contributors decribed above. - Test_Sample_nxs_imaging.instr and Test_Sample_nxs_diffraction.instr from Mirko Boin, HZB. Test instruments for the use of Sample_nxs.comp. NOTE: Special compilation required, see instrument source codes! - RITA-II.instr from Linda Udby, NBI. Very detailed and complete, experimentally benchmarked description of the RITA-II spectrometer at PSI. Use the RITA-II_test.sh script for test-scans. - Test_SSR_SSW.instr and Test_SSR_SSW_Guide.instr from Esben Klinkby DTU Nutech. Test instruments for the above mentioned components. - ESS_2001_bispectral.instr from Henrik Jacobsen, KU. Model of a bispectral extraction system for the ESS (currently using the 2001 version of the source) - ILL_D22.instr from Emmanuel Farhi. Model of the D22 SANS from ILL. Changes in McStas v1.12c, June 3rd, 2011 McStas 1.12c is bugfix release. Bugfixes include: Runtime - Fix of a bug in the rectangular focusing routine, reported to mcstas-users by Markos Skoulatos, HZB (see http://mailman.mcstas.org/pipermail/mcstas-users/2010q4/000845.html) - Introduction of --ncount as unsigned long long int in place of double. Using double could potentially lead simulations to "hang". A re-release of McStas 1.12c was done due to bugs in components related to the new type returned from mcget_ncount. Tools - If gnuplot is available at installation time, mcplot and mcgui can use this in place of PGPLOT. To use gnuplot, either - edit your mcstas_config.perl and put PLOTTER => 'Gnuplot', - set the enviroment variable MCSTAS_FORMAT to Gnuplot Components - Lens.comp, typo in author name corrected - Guide_four_side.comp (and other similar), by Tobias Panzner updated - Single_crystal.comp, corrected initialization when providing lattice consts and angles - Source_simple.comp, corrected centering-bug when using gaussian wavelength distribution - Monochromator_pol.comp, now works properly in GROUPS/multi-slab configurations - Pol_simpleBfield.comp, potential polarisation exit-state bug corrected - FermiChopper.comp, fixed error when computing automatic phase - Monitor_nD.comp, fixed geometry bugs reported by Lambert van Eijck Example instruments - ESS_IN5_reprate.instr, parameter naming change in ESS_moderator_long component was not accomodated. - templateTAS.instr, fixes relating to inclusion in other instrument files Changes in McStas v1.12b, July 15th, 2010 McStas 1.12b is mostly a bugfix release, and the VERY last release in the 1.x series. - A few extra features and contributions have been included. McStas 2.0 will be released late 2010 and will introduce new features that could break ceartain backward compatibility, hence we move from the 1.x series. Bugfixes include: Runtime - Further adjustments to the MPI implementation, solves problems of hanging processes on large cluster runs. - Threading support completely removed. Components - New contributions - Multilayer_Sample.comp (Robert Dalgliesh, ISIS) Multilayer Reflecting sample using matrix Formula. Requires GSL (GNU Scientific Library) - Lens.comp (C. Monzat/E. Farhi/S. Desert/G.Euzin, ILL/LLB) Refractive lens with absorption, incoherent scattering and surface imperfection. - Lens_simple.comp (Henrich Frielinghaus, FZ Juelich) Rectangular/circular slit with parabolic/spherical LENS - Guide_four_side.comp (Tobias Panzner, PSI) Models a guide with elliptic, parabolic or straight shaped side walls. - Guide_four_side_2_shells.comp (Tobias Panzner, PSI) Models a guide with elliptic, parabolic or straight shaped side walls. As -"- with 2 outer mirror layer shells. - Guide_four_side_10_shells.comp (Tobias Panzner, PSI) Models a guide with elliptic, parabolic or straight shaped side walls. As -"- with 10 outer mirror layer shells. - Pol_FieldBox (Peter Willendrup) Easier to use precession area. Corresponds to a set of Pol_simpleBfield's plus slits. - Sapphire_Filter (Jonas O Birk, Uni CPH). Filter component, defaulting to saphire material properties - New component features - Addition of high-energy tail to Source_gen.comp (edits by Uwe Filges, PSI) - Single_crystal.comp extended for anisotropic mosaicity (EXPERIMENTAL), (edits by Erik Knudsen, Risoe DTU) - Various minor bugfixes to - Guide_curved.comp - DiskChopper.comp - SNS_source.comp - ESS_moderator_long.comp Example instruments - New examples - ISIS_CRISP.instr, CRISP reflectometer from ISIS, test instrument for Multilayer_Sample.comp above - Test_Lens.instr, test instrument for Lens.comp above - FZJ_KWS2_Lens.instr, KWS2 SANS from FZJ, test instrument for Lens_simple.comp above - templateTOF.instr (Was ILL_TOF_Env before) - templateLaue.instr (Derived from the old tutorial Laue instrument) - SE_example.instr and SE_example2.instr, simplistic Spin-Echo machines for illustrating use of Pol options - template.instr ("Void" instrument skeleton - like Insert->Instrument Template) - Test_shellguides.instr, test instrument for contributions from Tobias Panzner and Jonas O Birk. - Minor improvements to - templateDIFF.instr (SPLIT improves statistics) - templateTAS.instr (SPLIT improves statistics) - SNS_test.instr (Cleanup) Datafiles - Added SNS moderator input file source_sct091_tu_02_1.dat - Added ISIS moderator input file h.crisp Licensing - We have decided to distribute the components and the other runtime code under the LGPL license (see the LGPL file under lib/ . This allows to link (unmodified) code from that directory with other software and achieve non-GPL binaries. Platform support/Tools - Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, 10.4 Tiger, 10.5 Leopard, 10.6 Snow Leopard (PPC/Intel, 32/64bit) - Fix for problems with multiple perl installs, currently locked to perl 5.8. - Instructions for using Matlab visualisation in the .dmg README file - Windows XP 32/64bit, Windows Vista 32/64bit, Windows 7 32/64bit - Note that we provide only a 32 bit package, but shown to work on 64 bit - Fixed mcrun / mcgui for Windows for missing transfer of mpi parameters - Fixed mcplot for Windows, foreground color is now black, not cyan - Linux: Ubuntu is now our only "reference" Linux (Debian does not provide perl-pgplot) - Ubuntu .deb's for 32 and 64bit, work for both for 9.10 Karmic Koala and 10.04 Lucid Lynx - The .deb's require PGPLOT and perl-pgplot from Ubuntu Universe/Multiverse repositories Parallelisation - Improved stability of MPI simulations Various - A number of unlisted minor bugs ironed out, both in components, runtime code and tools. McStas 1.12a is essentially a bugfix release, and the last release in the 1.x series. McStas 2.0 will be released late 2009 / early 2010 and will introduce new features that could break ceartain backward compatibility, hence we move from the 1.x series. Bugfixes include: Runtime - Adjustments to the MPI implementation, solves problems of hanging processes on large cluster runs. Components - Various minor bugfixes to - Isotropic_sqw.comp - Vitess_input.comp - Pol_bender.comp - Pol_monitor.comp - PolLambda_monitor.comp - SNS_source.comp - ISIS_moderator.comp - FermiChopper_ILL.comp - Progress_bar.comp - TOFRes_sample.comp - Virtual_tripoli4_output.comp - Guide_honeycomb.comp Example instruments - Minor improvements to - PSI_DMC.instr (source-guide focusing corrected) - templateDIFF.instr (SPLIT improves statistics) - templateTAS.instr (SPLIT improves statistics) - SNS_test.instr (Cleanup) Datafiles - Added SNS moderator input file source_sct091_tu_02_1.dat Tools - Fixed mcrun / mcgui for Win32 for 'fixed --ncount at 1e6' when scanning/optimizing Platform support - Mac OS X, fix for problems with multiple perl install - Windows XP, Windows Vista - see Tools section - Linux, pgplot and pgperl now builds using gfortran (replacing g77) Parallelisation - Improved stability of MPI simulations - Preference for OpenMPI (standard on Ubuntu and Mac OS X) Various - A number of unlisted minor bugs ironed out, both in components, runtime code and tools. Changes in McStas v1.12, May 8th, 2008 Metalanguage - New %include "instr" mechanism to include one instrument in another. (Useful for independent build-up of e.g. primary and secondary spectrometer. Or easily see the effect of moving an instrument to a different beamport or facility!) See the manual for details. - When applying the WHEN keyword, an applied EXTEND %{ %} block will only be active if the WHEN returns 'true'. - Please take care when combining WHEN, GROUP and EXTEND %{ %} - see the manual. Runtime - Fix of a limiting case focusing problem reported to mcstas-users by George Apostolopoulos. ( See http://mailman.risoe.dk/pipermail/neutron-mc/2007q4/002915.html ) Components - When using the Virtual_input type components, --ncount is always set to an integer multiplum (repeat_count) of the number of events in the file. See also related remark about MPI below. - New component: MirrorElli.comp, elliptical mirror. Contributed by Sylvain Desert, LLB - New component: MirrorPara.comp, parabolic mirror. Contributed by Sylvain Desert, LLB - Single_crystal validation still ongoing, but has progressed: The algorithm seems OK, but is to some extent not in sync with the documentation. New option to specify reciprocal space vectors directly. (before only real space definitions were possible) - Most monitors now allow to 'not propagate' the neutron, i.e. not influence the beam. Parameter name is 'restore_neutron'. Example instruments - ILL_H25_IN22_sample/_resolution.instr (CRG instrument @ ILL) by E. Farhi / P. Willendrup - Incoherent_Test.instr - instrument to compare incoherent scattering from the different sample comps (V_samle, PowderN, Single_crystal, Isotropic_sqw). More instruments of this type planned (compare guides etc.), P. Willendrup / E. Knudsen / A. Daoud-Aladine - FocalisationMirrors.instr - test instrument for MirrorElli and MirrorPara, Sylvain Desert, LLB - PSI_DMC.instr, Powder Diffractometer, PSI, L. Keller / U. Filges / P. Willendrup Datafiles - 'Bugfix', some of the provided .laz files did not have proper unit for |F2|. Tools - Support for per-user mcstas_config.perl file, located in $HOME/.mcstas/ . This folder is also the default location of the 'host list' for use with MPI or gridding, simply name the file 'hosts'. - mcgui Save Configuration for saving chosen settings on the 'Configuration options' and 'Run dialogue'. - Possibilty to run MPI or grid simulations by default from mcgui. - When scanning parameters, mcrun now terminates with a relevant error message if one or more scan steps failed (intensities explicitly set to 0 in those cases). - When running parameter optimisations, a logfile (default name is "mcoptim_XXXX.dat" where XXXX is a pseudo-random string) is created during the optimisation, updated at each optim step. - We now provide syntax-highlighting setup files for vim and gedit editors. Output formats - Rudimentary support for GNUPLOT when plotting with mcplot. Data file format is standard McStas/PGPLOT. Platform support - Mac OS X 10.3 Panther (ppc), 10.4 Tiger (pcc/intel), 10.5 Leopard (ppc/intel) - Windows XP, Windows Vista (Now with a recent perl version; 5.10 plus various fixes). New feature on Windows: Simulations _always_ run in the background, freeing mcgui for other work. - "Any" Linux - reference platforms are Ubuntu 8.04 (and earlier) and Debian 4.0 (and earlier). We have also tested Fedora 8, OpenSuSE 10.3 and CentOS 4 releases recently. - FreeBSD (FreeBSD release 6.3 and its cousin DesktopBSD 1.6 recently tested) - SUN Solaris 10 (Intel tested, Sparc probably OK) - Plus probably any UNIX/POSIX type environment with a bit of effort... Parallelisation - Improved stability of MPI simulations by addition of an 'MPI barrier' (reduces probability of nodes beeing 'out of sync'. - On Windows, an 'mpicc.bat' script has been added for easier setup of McStas with gcc and MPI (We recommend MPICH). - Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is shipped with built-in support for MPI (OpenMPI). No need to install extra packages. - Use of 'virtual sources' is now supported on MPI clusters. (If running on N nodes, all neutron events will be processed on each of the N nodes - implicit repetition N times of the source contents.) - OpenMP threading support - Much improved gridding support (via ssh). Ready for heterogenous systems, e.g. mixed operating systems and hardware types! (Requires -c compile flag for mcrun or equivalent setting in mcgui.) The only requirement is ssh client on the machine where the grid run is started, plus ssh daemon and c-compiler (e.g. gcc or simply cc) on the remote machines. Files in the current dir are transparently copied back and forth, causes a substantial network traffic in some cases. Output data from the nodes are automatically merged using mcformat. Just as efficient as MPI without any library dependencies at all. Make use of all processer cores in your machine, simply choose to 'grid'. Windows 'client' host OK, we autodetect ssh and scp binaries from the Putty package. Various - A number of minor bugs ironed out, both in components, runtime code and tools. - From release 1.12, McStas is GPL 2 only. The debate on the internet about the future GPL 3 license suggests that this license might have implications on the 'derived work', hence have implications on what and how our users use their McStas simulations for. To protect user freedom, we will stick with GPL 2. WARNING: The 'dash' shell which is used as /bin/sh on some Linux system (Including Ubuntu 8.04) makes the 'Cancel' and 'Update' buttons fail in mcgui. Solutions: a) If your system is a Debian or Ubuntu, please dpkg-reconfigure dash and say 'no' to install dash as /bin/sh b) If you run another Linux with /bin/sh beeing dash, please install bash and manually change the /bin/sh link to point at bash. Changes in McStas v1.11, July 3rd, 2007 Metalanguage - New SPLIT keyword for improving statistics. WARNING: Follow instructions in the documentation for safe use of the SPLIT keyword. Components - Source_adapt.comp, additions by Aaron Percival which allows to specify a flat wavlength distibution. - Single_crystal.comp, warning NOT to use this component as a monochromator (bug fix/validation under way). - PowderN.comp, can now be used in concentric mode, i.e. for modelling sample surroundings (cryostat, container..). - Tunneling_sample.comp (new) Double-cylinder shaped all-incoherent scatterer with elastic, quasielastic (Lorentzian) and tunneling (sharp) components. No multiple scattering. Absorbtion included. By Kim Lefmann - TOF2E_monitor.comp (new) TOF-sensitive monitor, converting to energy. By Kim Lefmann Example instruments - New ILL_H15_IN6 and ILL_H142_IN12 instruments by Emmanuel Farhi are included. - Histogrammer.instr - see the 'Tools' section - New ESS_IN5_reprate.instr Instrument for simulating IN5-TYPE (cold chopper) multi-frame spectrometer at ESS LPT. (Also example instrument for Tunneling_sample.comp.) By Kim Lefmann Datafiles - Reflectivity curves from Swiss Neutronics (more work done, available in the next McStas release). - More Sqw tables for use with the Isotropic_Sqw component. Tools - PGPLOT output format (original McStas format) is now possible on Windows. A pgplot/pgperl installation is included in a standard McStas Win32 installation. - New mcdaemon for visualisation of intermediate simulation results (obtained by sending USR2 signal to a running simulation or by using the Progress_bar component with flag_save=1). - Improvements to mcgui: * New tool menu with hooks to mcformat, mcdaemon and mcplot * Possibility for auto-setup of MPI ssh keys * Possibility to run the McStas editor in 'detached' mode, hence available whilst a simulation is running - Histogrammer.instr: Special histogramming instrument for visualisation of virtual source files (Virtual_input, VitESS, MCNP and Tripoli formats) Output formats - NeXus output format possible. To use this feature, HDF and NeXus libraries must be available and functional on your system before installing McStas from source. (In case of a binary package, you MUST recompile the McStas software.) To enable a McStas build with NeXus, run ./configure --with-nexus. Platform support - Mac OS X is now considered a supported platform. For now, no actuall installer program is given, but all needed software has been packed together with easy to follow instructions. Test of the instructions have been performed on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger on both Intel and PPC hardware. - McStas now comes in a Debian binary package (.deb), tested to work on Debian and Ubuntu systems. The debian package provides McStas, pgplot and pgperl and have dependencies for the perl, perl-tk, gcc, libg2c0, pdl and libc6-dev packages. Parallelisation - The threading mechanism for parallelisation has been removed from McStas since it caused too many problems. For parallelisation on single machines (e.g. modern dual-core processors) or clusters, MPI (MPICH) is the recommended solution. The McStas team members routinely run developer machines and clusters using MPI. Intel C compiler - The documentation now includes instructions to run McStas with the Intel C compiler (available on Windows, Linux x86 and Mac OS x86 systems). Typically, a performance gain of 2 is found relative to gcc -O2. Relevant compiler flags are: MCSTAS_CFLAGS="-g -O2 -wd177,266,1011,181" export MCSTAS_CC="icc" - To run McStas with MPI and the Intel C compiler, you may have to edit your mpicc shell script to set: CC="icc" Various - A standard McStas source package now works directly within the DANSE framework. WARNING: The 'dash' shell which is used as /bin/sh on some Linux system (Including Ubuntu 7.04) makes the 'Cancel' and 'Update' buttons fail in mcgui. Solutions: a) If your system is a Debian or Ubuntu, please install our Debian package which requests automatic removal of 'dash'. b) If your /bin/sh is dash, please install bash and manually change the /bin/sh link to point at bash. Changes in McStas v1.10, Dec 4, 2006 General - This release is a major step forward for McStas in terms of support for polarisation. Peter Christiansen who worked at Risoe March-October 2006 was the main workforce behind this new functionality, backed by funding from ISIS, work by Rob Dalgliesh at ISIS and inspiration from the VitESS and NISP packages. As this is the first release with polarisation support, the methods and algorithms implemented will certainly be developed further. Hence, documentation of the functionality has been placed in an appendix to the manual. Polarisation users: Please give us feedback for further development! Items marked by (p) below relate to the new polarisation support. - New keywords for the meta language improves support for e.g. description of sample enviroments. - A method for automatic optimisation has been implemented, e.g. for achieving maximum flux at the sample position (any quantity measured by a McStas monitor can be optimised) as a function of simulation parameters. - Bugfixes in many different areas. Documentation - Manual and component manual slightly updated according to adding/modification of components and functionality. New appendix on the polarisation features. (p) Kernel - New WHEN keyword, conditional use of components, COMPONENT MyComp=Component(...) WHEN (condition) AT - New JUMP keyword, possibility to iterate a given component a number of times (multiple scattering) or for 'teleportation' to a given component. (USE WITH CAUTION) - Improved COPY keyword with parameter substitution (Make a copy of an other component instance with a few parameters changed) - Spin propagation algorithm (When magnetic field is set 'on', the central propagation routines also handle Larmor precession in the field) (p) - Handeling of analytical B-fields (p) Tools - New 'merge/convert' tool mcformat: Convert between McStas output formats and merge cluster node datasets into one dataset. - TOF mode for mcdisplay (Statistical chopper acceptance diagrams generated from the simulated neutron rays. Currently only supported on Unix systems with PGPLOT.) - Optmisation support in mcrun/mcgui using Perl::Amoeba (se description above) - POSIX threading on multi-core processors (BEWARE, performance is generally better using MPI) - mcgui: Note that if you experience crashes when starting/running GNOME/Gtk2 applications, update your perl-Tk installation. Two ways to do this: 1) Get the tarball from http://www.mcstas.org/download/Tk-804.027_gtk2_patch.tar.gz and install using 'perl Makefile.PL && make && make install'. 2) Do a 'make tk' in the McStas unpacked McStas source directory. This will download and install the tarball into your McStas system directory. Components - Monochromator_pol.comp - Polarising monochromator/analyzer (p) - Pol_bender.comp - Polarising bender (p) - Pol_mirror.comp - Polarising mirror (p) - Pol_guide_vmirror.comp - Guide with semi-transparent, polarising mirror (p) - Pol_simpleBfield.comp - Numerical precession in analytical B-fields (p) - 3 Polarisation monitors - MeanPolLambda_monitor.comp, PolLambda_monitor.comp Pol_monitor.comp (p) - PSD_Detector.comp - Physical detector - comes with many gas lookup tables (Contrib: Thorwald van Vuure, ILL) - Virtual_mcnp_*.comp - MCNP event file handeling (Contrib: Chama Hennane, ENSIMAG and Emmanuel Farhi, ILL) - Source_multi_surfaces.comp - Source comp with multiple surface areas with individual spectrums (Contrib: Ludovic Giller, EPFL and Uwe Filges, PSI) - multi_pipe.comp - Defines a 'grid' of slits (focusing device) (Contrib: Uwe Filges, PSI) - Exact_radial_coll.comp - Radial collimator comp, exact model (Contrib: Roland Schedler, HMI) - FermiChopper_ILL.comp - Fermi Chopper comp with optional supermirror coated blades. (Contrib: Helmut Schober, ILL) - V_sample enriched with quasi-elastic features (Kim Lefmann) Example Instruments - TAS frontend with reciprocal space (hkl) calculator (Emmanuel Farhi) - Example instruments for polarisation comps (p) - QUENS_test.instr (Test of new quasi-elastic features V_sample) Installation - Much easier installation on Windows, single executable file with all support applications is now available. Simply click 'next' alle the way and you are done. - PGPLOT and Scilab installation help tools on Linux systems WARNINGS (Almost identical to those from release 1.9.1) - Because of rapid changes in the support software for McStas, the current release has support for only some releases of: * Scilab (Win32 and Unix) - pick release 4.0 if available or pick release 3.0 from , e.g. from http://www.scilab.org/download/index_download.php?page=oldReleases.html (Automatically included in the Win32 .exe installer and Linux Scilab installer) * Perl (Win32) - on Windows we only support Perl 5.6 - pick http://downloads.activestate.com/ActivePerl/Windows/5.6/ActivePerl-5.6.1.638-MSWin32-x86.msi (Automatically included in the Win32 .exe installer) * If you are running Unix with GNOME/Gtk2 applications, you may experience problems with mcgui crashing, please install updated perl-Tk from http://www.mcstas.org/download Changes in McStas v1.9.1, Mar 29, 2006 General - Update release, mainly bugfixes plus a few other things Documentation - Component manual slightly updated according to adding/modification of components. Tools - mcgui: A few bugfixes. Note also that if you experience crashes when starting/running GNOME/Gtk2 applications, update your perl-Tk installation. Two ways to do this: 1) Get the tarball from http://www.mcstas.org/download/Tk-804.027_gtk2_patch.tar.gz and install using 'perl Makefile.PL && make && make install'. 2) Do a 'make tk' in the McStas unpacked McStas source directory. This will download and install the tarball into your McStas system directory. Components - DiskChopper.comp - new disc chopper component. Chopper.comp made obsolete. See mcdoc page / component manual for further details. - Guide.comp - reads reflectivity tables from disk. - Isotropic_Sqw - minor bugfixes, validated against PowerN, V_sample, etc. - PowderN - validated against Isotropix_Sqw, Squires, experimental data. WARNINGS - Because of rapid changes in the support software for McStas, the current release has support for only some releases of: * Scilab (Win32 and Unix) - pick release 4.0 if available or pick release 3.0 from , e.g. from http://www.scilab.org/download/index_download.php?page=oldReleases.html * Perl (Win32) - on Windows we only support Perl 5.6 - pick http://downloads.activestate.com/ActivePerl/Windows/5.6/ActivePerl-5.6.1.638-MSWin32-x86.msi * If you are running Unix with GNOME/Gtk2 applications, you may experience problems with mcgui crashing, please install updated perl-Tk as noted above. Changes in McStas v1.9, Nov 16, 2005 General - To indicate the collaborative nature of the McStas package, the main website URL does no longer belong to Risoe or ILL but is http://www.mcstas.org. - The package has been strengthened by the presence of Klaus Lieutenant (former captain of Vitess, HMI) at ILL. He has focused a lot on validation and testing of the package, giving very important input and done very valuable work. - To help us in the fight against bugs, a BUGZILLA system has been set up for users to report their suggestions and problems. The system is available at the URL http://www.mcstas.org/McZilla . - The VnCS (Virtual neutron Code Sharing) agreement has been signed by the leaders of the Vitess and McStas software packages to formally support closer collaboration and sharing of code between the packages. At least one component (Vitess_ChopperFermi) now works with both packages, work done by Klaus Lieutenant and Geza Zsigmond. - Many big and small BUGS ellimnated! - First attempt at "concentric components" (sample environment). See Isotropic_Sqw in the 'Components' section below. Documentation - With this release, the component manual has finally been updated! Major work has been put into this by especially Kim Lefmann and Emmanuel Farhi. The user manual has also been revised, but not as intensively. - Improvements to tutorial/teaching material as result of Copenhagen University course on neutron scattering, given by Kim Lefmann and Peter Willendrup. The idea is that when improved further, the full simulation part of the course can serve as an extended tutorial for McStas. In the package, projects on virtual experiments at DMC, RITA-2 and SANS-2 at PSI is included. Tools - A web frontend is now available for McStas, check it out at http://www.mcstas.org/webfront . Currently it is not actually part of the package, may become so in a near future release. - On Unix systems, mcdaemon is a tool to periodically send -USR2 signals (save) to running simulation processes. Is in an early state but should work okay, but not documented in the user manual. Replots intermediate data. - mcgui has been intensively revised, many annoyances have been removed and features adjusted for easier use. Components - For simplicity, a number of components (especially monitors and sources) have been merged. This for example means that the Source_simple replaces the former Source_flat* components. Fewer duplications of code => smaller risk of old bugs surviving in the code. - PowderN: General powder sample component, replaces the simpler Powder1 and Powder2 components, has a very flexible system to read crystallographic data for powder line description. Is in the process of beeing validated against data from DMC@PSI. The code itself and the validation of it is the result of collaboration between mainly Peter Willendrup from the McStas team and Laurent Chapon (ISIS), Uwe Filges (PSI) and Lukas Keller (PSI). A validation paper will be presented at ICNS, Sydney. - Isotropic_Sqw: Originally work for the Ph.D. thesis of V. Hugouvieux, ILL. Extended and validated intensively by Emmanuel Farhi, ILL. It handles elastic and inelastic scattering for both coherent and incoherent processes, with secondary absorption and multiple scattering. The code has been validated against PowderN and V_sample. It comes with the same flexible system as PowderN to read data files, including crystallographic data for powder line description. Moreover, it may be used to describe concentric geometries in order to model sample environments. - Vitess_ChopperFermi: Originally work for Vitess by Geza Zsigmond, now PSI. Validated and adapted for use with McStas by Klaus Lieutentant, ILL in the frame of the VnCS agreement. - TOFRes_sample: time-of-flight version of the Res_sample component. Written by Kim Lefmann, Risoe. Will be merged with the res_sample component in next release. - The full suite of Fermi Choppers have been tested intensively by Klaus Lieutentant, partly inspired by the work of ILL stagiere Rebecca Peacock. WARNINGS - Because of rapid changes in the support software for McStas, the current release has support for only some releases of: * Scilab (Win32 and Unix) - pick release 3.0 from , e.g. from http://www.scilab.org/download/index_download.php?page=oldReleases.html * Perl (Win32) - on Windows we only support Perl 5.6 - pick http://downloads.activestate.com/ActivePerl/Windows/5.6/ActivePerl-5.6.1.638-MSWin32-x86.msi Changes in McStas v1.8, Mar 4, 2004 License - McStas is now GPL software. Note that generated code, output data and papers based on these is not considered "derived work" but merely normal usage of the software package. - The McStas software package now includes a re-distribution of the plotlib package for Scilab, (http://www.dma.utc.fr/~mottelet/myplot.html), courtesy of Stephane Mottelet (stephane.mottelet@dma.utc.fr). Plotlib is beeing distributed using a BSD like license. Plotlib needs not be precompiled anymore. - McStas now uses the Perl CPAN module Proc::Simple on unix platforms. Proc::Simple is distributed using the Perl artistic license. General - Nightly CVS builds of McStas are now available to the public from http://mcstas.risoe.dk/cvs (optionally use the mcsync script to get these) NOTE: The CVS builds are not considered 100% stable, you can count on errors in there, but you also get the newest stuff. Installation - Improved installation and build scripts. NOTE: The new version is INCOMPATIBLE with Win32 releases older than Windows 2000 - Automatic detection of plotting backend, (make config) - Test procedure (make test) Kernel (i.e. the 'mcstas' program) - a PREVIOUS keyword has been implemented, for referencing e.g. position placement to upsteam components. - improvements to runtime randvec_target_rect functions - Updated Mersenne Twister random number generator Tools - Various bugfixes, especially on the Win32 platform and RedHat 9 specific stuff - mcgui now includes an option to 'scan' instrument parameters (previously only possible using mcrun.pl. - mcconvert.pl script has been added to the distribution, converts between Matlab and Scilab type output. Cyclic conversion, e.g. Matlab->Scilab->Matlab is not supported. - mcplot opens scan steps with Matlab/Scilab backends - mcrun now has support for Matlab/Scilab backends, built in test procedure (mcrun --test), poor man's grid computing - see the manual for information on how to use this. - mcdoc support for instrument headers, support for the built in tutorial - Improved tutorial built into the gui tools - editor, various improvements (line numbers etc.) Instruments - mcgui now has a special Neutron Site menu (auto generated) to allow distribution of instruments - instruments can now have default input values - several contributed / new instruments, have a look in your examples/ folder Components - New components: $ Official components - Sans_spheres, a sample for small angle neutron scattering - Powder2, a two ring powder sample - Phonon_simple, a phonon scattering sample - Guide_gravity improved $ Contributed components - Guide_tapering, guide with elliptical/parabolic/general tapering (Uwe Filges) - ISIS_moderator, (Stuart Ansell and Dickon Champion) - Guide_curved (Ross Stewart) Changes in McStas v1.7, Jan 17, 2003 Kernel (i.e. the 'mcstas' program) - components may have a SHARE section, which is imported only once per type of component. It has the same role as DECLARE, but only once. - the component files may have some %include inside '%{ }%' C DECLARE or SHARE blocks. The files to include are searched locally, and then in the library. If an extension is found, just the specified file is included, else both .h and .c are embedded if the --no-runtime has not been specified. The instrument files can also embed external files, both in C blocks and in the instrument parts (DECLARE, etc...) as in previous releases. - The instrument and components may have char* setting parameters. For instruments, their length is limited to 1024 chars. - The FINALLY section, that was executed at the end, has been split into still the FINALLY, and a new SAVE section. This latter is executed at simulation end (just before the FINALLY), but also each time an intermediate save is required (e.g. a 'kill -USR2 ' is used). - An instrument source file may contain EXTEND %{ }% C blocks just after the usual AT...ROTATED.. keywords, to extend the behaviour of existing components, without touching their code. All local component variables are available. This may for instance be used to add a new 'color' to neutrons, i.e. assign a new characteristic variable to the neutron. - component instances in an instrument source file may be GROUPed into exclusive assembly, i.e. only one component of the group will intercept neutron, the rest will be skipped. This is usefull for multi monochromators multi detectors, multiple collimators, ... This is a kind if splitting. - McStas can now compile for Windows without troubles (if lex/yacc files were generated elsewere, or using the flex/yacc for Windows) Run-time library (e.g. the instrument program) - A global gravitation handling is now available, by setting the -g flag - many output formats are available for data. use the --format="format" flag, e.g. --format="Scilab". The full list is displayed with the -h flag for the instrument program. example: mcrun test.instr --format="Matlab binary" -n 1e4 will create a mcstas.m file. Launch Matlab and execute s=mcstas('plot') % will import data into s, and plot all detectors. Binary formats are handled by IDL, Matlab, Scilab. The present available format list is "McStas" "Scilab" "Matlab" "IDL" "XML" "HTML" The default format is McStas/PGPLOT, but may be specified globally using the MCSTAS_FORMAT environment variable - It is possible to save 3D data arrays, by calling the DETECTOR_OUT_3D macro. (handled as 2D by mcplot) - The type of the 'number of events' array in monitors was changed from int to double, to avoid overflow. Please update your home-made monitors. - many dedicated libraries are now available as shared code for reading tables, handling data trees and monitors. These are C functions to be %included into components (see e.g. lib/monitors/Monitor_nD.comp) - The USR2 signal generates an intermediate save for all monitors, during the simulation (execute the SAVE section). The USR1 still give informations. - a new randvec_target_rect function now focuses on a rectangle (more efficient than former randvec_target_sphere=randvec_target_circle) Components (in the lib directory) - a new data directory contains neutron data tables - obsolete directory contains components that were renamed or old. - misc/Progress_bar component now exists, and may save data regularly. - optics/Monochromator_curved can read reflectivity and transmission tables - monitors/Monitor_nD can have automatic limits mode for either all or selected monitored variables. It may also plot banana monitors for mcdisplay and trigger intermediate savings for all monitors (same as USR2 sig.) Also, it may monitor something else than the intensity, e.g. the mean energy on a XY psd. - sources/Virtual_output can save all neutron events into a file (beware the size of the generated files !). Format may be text and binary - sources/Virtual_input can read the files generated by Virtual_output - optics/Guide_gravity can handle a 2D array of channels - optics/Filter_gen can read a table from a file and affect the neutron beam (replaces the obsolete 'Flux_adapter'). It may act as a filter or a source - samples: they now can all target towards any component, giving its index (no need to compute target_x/y/z vector, use e.g. target_index=+1) - samples/Res_monitor, Powder1 and V_sample may now have a sphere or box shape, and may focus to a circular or rectangular area Tools - Matlab, Scilab and IDL may read directly McStas results if the simulation was executed with the --format="..." option (see 'Run-time' changes) - mcplot, mcdisplay, mcgui are now less dependent on the perl/pgplot installed versions. - mcplot can plot a single simulation data file - mcplot, mcresplot, mcdisplay can output gif, ps and ps color. They also have integrated help (-h options), and may generate output files in a non interactive mode (read file, create output file, exit) - mcplot and mcdisplay work with Matlab, PGPLOT and Scilab plotters (set with the MCSTAS_FORMAT default setting, or -pPLOTTER, or PGPLOT if not set) - mcrun can not currently generate scan results in other formats than McStas - mcsats2vitess works now ok for converting a McStas component to a Vitess one Changes in McStas v1.6.1 (beta), Feb 18th, 2002. - a bug was corrected for very small signal statistics automatic limits search in Monitor_nD (0.16.4), that could cause parasitc peaks and fluctuations in detector. - 'optics' components were renamed by categories, starting with Guide_..., Monochromator_..., Filter_... etc so that sorting is easier. - Monochromator_2foc and Monochromator_curved can now read a reflectivity table file (eg. PG) with rows [k, R]. Both components give the same results, and can use the same parameters. - mcplot can now read a list of detector files, without a '.sim' file. This enables to visualise a set of selected monitors, or may be used when the mcstas.sim file was deleted. Detector files must be in current directory. - the 1D and 2D detectors now compute simple signal statistics (min, max, mean, center and width of distributions) which are stored in the detector file and shown in plots (mcplot). - The Virtual_input replaces the Source_file component (see below), and can read text, Vitess and binary float files of neutron events. Changes in McStas v1.6-ill (alpha), October 29th, 2001. - In component definitions, a SHARE keyword followed by a C code block %{...}% acts the same as a DECLARE block, but is only included once in an instrument. This is very useful when using many identical components (guides, monitors, monochromators) to speed-up compiling and perfomrnaces. SHARE %{ /* included only once for all identical components */ %} DECLARE %{ /* included for all components */ %} Then all component programmers may add C functions to the 'kernel'. This is only worth when you plan to use a given component many times in a simulation (e.g. not for sources or samples). To downgrade a McStas 1.5 component, just move the SHARE block C code into the DECLARE block. - In an instrument definition, within the TRACE section, each COMPONENT instance may include a C code block: COMPONENT Comp1 = Guide(...) AT (...) ROTATED (...) EXTEND %{ /* some C code to execute after component Comp1 */ /* in current coordinate system. You may use Comp1 and global */ /* instrument variables */ %} For instance, you can here give a 'color' (additional neutron characteristic) and modify next components behaviours. This block is always executed in groups, but you can test if the componnet intercepted the neutron with the SCATTERED variable (if (SCATTERED) { ... }). - In an instrument TRACE section, it is possible to put a set of component in an exclusive group. Only one of the elements of the group can act on the neutron. If no element acts on the neutron, it is absorbed. This is specially useful for multi-detectors, multi-monochromators in parallel, multiple collimators/guides (e.g. radial). COMPONENT Comp1 = Guide(...) AT (...) ROTATED (...) GROUP MyGroupName COMPONENT Comp2 = Guide(...) AT (...) ROTATED (...) GROUP MyGroupName Comp1 and Comp2 may even be at the same place. For programmers: it is important that the component TRACE section contains a SCATTER keyword when it successfully intercepts it, to tell McStas that a component in a group acts on a neutron, and can skip other comp in the group. - In 'mcplot', it is possible to use the -ps, -psc and -gif options to generate a PS, color PS, and GIF file, and exit mcplot (no display). - The Monitor_nD was upgraded to correct bugs when reaching the component (the propagation was not performed correctly in some cases), and the disk/ sphere radius (monitor remained then squared). This component now uses the SHARE block. A bug was corrected for lists. It can output log and abs of signals, and source files (see Source_file). - The Gravity_guide now handles correctly the focusing multichannel guides. Gravitation is included (on y axis). This component now uses the SHARE block. The Channeled_guide does not handle properly the focusing multichannels. - The Source_gen component focuses uniformly on the target, and can model rectangular, disk, gaussian, and Maxwellian (up to 3 distributions) sources. Previous source components did not focus correctly on the target. They were also corrected, execpt the 'Source_Maxwell'. Source_gen can replace all thee previous sources. - A new Source_file component can take as input a text file containing an array with columns ' x y z vx vy vz t sx sy sz p', such as the data files generated from Monitor_nD with options="list all source". The source may be re-generated more than once, which is useful to improve accuracy, specially when further components do MC choices. Vitess files and float binary files are also ok (auto-recognition of format). - The signal handler now gives more info about where a signal was caught. For instance it tells in which component part an error occured, to make debuging easier. Usefull Signals: kill -Signal -USR1: display info and continue simulation -USR2: finish simulation and save results -QUIT: end simulation immediately - The 2D detectors now also output the errors/counts on signal as 1D detectors. Set p2=NULL in DETECTOR_OUT_2D to unactivate error saving in components. - We tried to lower the number of components by merging similar ones. - There are now new MACROS for the component programmer. * mccompcurindex is the number (index) of the current component (1 is first component of instrument) * RESTORE_NEUTRON(index, x, y, z, vx, vy, vz, t, sx, sy, sz, p) restores the neutron state to the one at the input of the component 'index'. To ignore a component effect, use RESTORE_NEUTRON(mccompcurindex, x, y, z, vx, vy, vz, t, sx, sy, sz, p) at the end of its TRACE section, or in its EXTEND section. These neutron states are in the local component coordinate systems. * STORE_NEUTRON(index, x, y, z, vx, vy, vz, t, sx, sy, sz, p) stores the current neutron state in the trace-history table, in local coordinate system. This is automatically done when entering each component of an instrument. * POS_A_COMP_INDEX(index) is the absolute position of component 'index'. POS_A_COMP_INDEX(mccompcurindex) is the same as POS_A_CURRENT_COMP. You may use POS_A_COMP_INDEX(mccompcurindex+1) to make, for instance, your component access the position of the next component (this is usefull for automatic targeting). * SCATTERED is non zero when previous component acted on neutron (let pass or scatter) Warning: programmers, do not use anymore the 'mccompcurname' when writing your components. rather use the 'NAME_CURRENT_COMP'. Other minor modifications #cleaned up non used variables in mcstas-r.c/h #tested and corrected components misc: Vitess_input/output: included Spin from Vitess. (vitess-lib.c/h) but can not be used as mcstas can not find vitess-lib.c/h. I included what was needed in SHARE sections. now works OK. samples: Single_crystal (now can take lattice angles, forgot a %} at SHARE end) provide *.dat diffraction samples from Crystallographica optics: Beamstop now is a merging of Beamstop_circular and Beamstop_rectangular (using default values to select shape) Channeled_guide: now output an error in multichannel focusing mode. Chopper: determined default values to have lambda~4 AA. Can handle First_Chopper (parameter IsFirst) Fermi_Chopper : default values for transmission every ~2 AA Gravity_guide: limit loops to max of 1000 bounces for each components (to avoid endless loops) Mosaic_anisotropic: can take DM (d-spacing). default for graphite. Powder_filter (did not work at all, now can take lattice angles, also works as a sample, can take samples/*.dat diffraction files) Selector: default values for transmission at ~4 AA Slit: now is a merging of Slit and Circular_slit (using default values to select shape) Soller: can take transmission V_selector: default values for transmission at ~4 AA sources Source_gen: can handle all previous sources in one component (up to 3 Maxwellians). Corrected homogeneity bug for illumination. Source_file: can read 'source' files from Vitess, text files (both 90 bytes/neutron) and float binary files (e.g, from Monitor_nD with options="list all, source binary" which is more compact in size, 48 bytes/neutron). Autorecognition of the format. The MCNP output is not fixed. Just tell MCNP guys to output the float binary or text file. #other tested components: monitors: all optics: Bender, Curved_Monochromator, Filter, Filter_Graphite, Gravity_guide, Mon_2foc, Curved_Monochromator, Monochromator #not tested: Guide, He3_cell, Mirror, (should be ok ??!!) #moved to obsolete components: monitors: PSD_monitor_4PI_log.comp, PSD_bidim.comp, PSD_curved.comp, PSD_entry.comp, samples: Powder0.comp optics: Beamstop_circular Beamstop_rectangular (gathered into Beamstop) First_Chopper (included in Chopper) Circular_slit (included in Slit) Guide2 Monochromator0 Circular_slit Soller_trans.comp #perl scripts: mcplot (direct output -ps, -psc, -gif) Changes in McStas v1.5, October, 10th, 2001 Modified components A corrected version of Arm.comp. For further information, see the emails by Ulrich Wildgruber and Stuart Rycroft. (Apr. 26, 2001) A corrected version of Monitor_nD.comp. For further information, see the email by Emmanuel Farhi. (Apr. 26, 2001) A rewritten version of Gravity_guide.comp has been contributed by Emmanuel Farhi (see email). The component provided in the email works with McStas 1.4.2, but the official version of the component is not working with McStas 1.4.2 because support for this component has been added to the kernel. (Aug. 7, 2001) An updated version of Monitor_nD.comp has been contributed by Emmanuel Farhi (see first and second email). The new version of the component is not working with McStas 1.4.2 because support for the component has been added to the kernel. (Aug. 8, 2001) Andrew Wildes and Emmanuel Farhi have detected an error when using focusing geometry in Channeled_guide. The slope of the channels is not computed corrected correctly, because the same left and right slopes are used in all channels. This has now been included properly in Gravity_guide, and it is recommended that this component is used. (Sep. 18, 2001) The handling of illumination in Source_flat, Source_div and Source_flat_lambda have been corrected. (Oct. 9, 2001) New components The He3_cell.comp has been contributed by Trefor Roberts. It models a cylindrical 3He spin filter cell. (Aug. 8, 2001) The Mon_2foc.comp has been contributed by Peter Link. It models a double bent monochromator with multiple slabs. (Aug. 9, 2001) The Bender.comp has been contributed by Philipp Bernhardt. It models a curved neutron guide. (Aug. 10, 2001) The Powder_filter.comp has been contributed by Ben Fortescue. It models a general box-shaped powder filter. (Aug. 16, 2001) The Source_Maxwell_3 component describes a source with three Maxwellian distributions. (Sep. 17, 2001) Various monitors have been added: EPSD_monitor, PSDcyl_monitor, PSDlin_monitor, TOF_cylPSD_monitor, TOFlog_mon. (Sep. 18, 2001) A minor error in TOF_cylPSD_monitor has been corrected. (Oct. 9, 2001) A new monitor TOFLambda_monitor has been added. (Oct. 9, 2001) A guide modeling waviness, Guide_wavy, has been added. (Oct. 9, 2001) A generic source, Source_gen, has been added. (Oct. 10, 2001) The signal handling system has been updated to handle a special case. The signal handling system will be documented in the manual of version 1.5. (Aug. 7, 2001) The representation of polarisation in McStas components and instruments is supposed to work as follows. Only components actually modifying the spin explicitly require the "POLARISATION PARAMETERS (sx,sy,sz)" line. An instrument handling polarisation may consist of components both with and without this line; it will transform the spin vector correctly anyway. The "POLARISATION PARAMETERS (sx,sy,sz)" line is therefore removed from all official components not dealing with polarisation. The reason is that for instruments without polarisation some simulation time is gained by excluding the transformations of the spin vector. (Aug. 9, 2001) Some definitions have been added that can be used in coding components: NAME_CURRENT_COMP gives the name of the current component as a string. (Aug. 16, 2001) POS_A_CURRENT_COMP gives the absolute position of the current component. A component of the vector is referred to as POS_A_CURRENT_COMP.i where i is x, y or z. (Aug. 16, 2001) ROT_A_CURRENT_COMP and ROT_R_CURRENT_COMP give the orientation of the current component as rotation matrices (absolute orientation and the orientation relative to the previous component, respectively). A component of a rotation matrice is referred to as ROT_A_CURRENT_COMP[m][n], where m and n are 0, 1, or 2. (Aug. 16, 2001) POS_A_COMP(comp) gives the absolute position of the component with the name comp. Note that comp is not given as a string. A component of the vector is referred to as POS_A_COMP(comp).i where i is x, y or z. (Aug. 16, 2001) ROT_A_COMP(comp) and ROT_R_COMP(comp) give the orientation of the component comp as rotation matrices (absolute orientation and the orientation relative to its previous component, respectively). Note that comp is not given as a string. A component of a rotation matrice is referred to as ROT_A_COMP(comp)[m][n], where m and n are 0, 1, or 2. (Aug. 16, 2001) Changes in McStas v1.4.1, March 16, 2001 - New components: ESS_moderator_long.comp and ESS_moderator_short.comp (by Kim Lefmann), Source_Maxwell (by Emmanuel Farhi). Gravity_guide.comp is included in the official version. - Some support for the calculation of correlation functions in the components Monitor_nD and PreMonitor_nD (by Emmanuel Farhi) - A signal handling system is included (by Emmanuel Farhi) - Misc. minor bug fixes - For more information: http://neutron.risoe.dk/mcstas/developments/developments.html Changes in McStas v1.4, July 28, 2000: - It is now possible to use arbitrary C expressions in the instrument definition, ie. to set rotations, component parameters, etc. Only works for SETTING parameters though, not DEFINITION parameters. - Experimental mcstas2vitess conversion program to automatically translate a McStas component into a VITESS module. - Option to clear the simulation output in mcgui. - Partial solution to the problem with name conflicts on component parameters. - Partial NeXus support implemented, but not yet functional. - Misc. minor bug fixes. Changes in McStas v1.3, May 18, 2000: - New facility `McDoc' for documentation of components, with automatic extraction of documentation from comment headers in the source code. - The possibility in the graphical user interface `mcgui' to build instrument definitions using "point-and-click", based on McDoc. - Much improved `mcrun' front-end, which now replaces the old `gscan' front-end and interfaces with `mcplot'. - Optional component input parameters. - Instrument parameters may now also be of string type. - Improved Single_crystal component, now supports anisotropic mosaic, multiple scattering, extinction, absorbtion, and incoherent scattering. - New components Source_Optimizer and Monitor-nD, by Emmanuel Farhi. - Misc. minor bug fixes. Changes in McStas v1.2, January 31, 2000: - New components (Single_crystal, Mosaic_simple, Source_adapt, Res_sample, ...). - New graphical user interface mcgui. - New command-line front-end mcrun with automatic compilation (experimental). - New resolution function front-end mcresplot (experimental). - Better random number generator "Mersenne Twister". - Fix for problem with Digital Unix almost-ANSI compiler. - Misc. minor bug fixes. Changes in McStas v1.1, March 31, 1999: - New components. - Much improved output file format, with new mcplot front-end to automatically plot the results of a simulation. - New MCDISPLAY sections in component definitions, and much improved mcdisplay front-end. - New kernel calls DETECTOR_OUT_[012]D(), mcget_ncount(). - Improved error messages. - New --portable compiler option. - Various minor bug and compatibility fixes. - Preliminary support for polarised neutrons. - Quote special characters in strings in the generated C code. Changes in McStas v1.0, October 26, 1998: - Initial release.